Studio One can do all kinds of audio (and actually doesn't explicitly require ASIO functionality in the driver like Pro Tools and others do), and it might be getting the source from the wrong place. When you open Studio One Artist, at least, the front page shows you your audio in/out. Not sure about Free. But there's a menu option, too. On the menu go to Studio One > Options > Audio Setup. You can pick which driver you're using there, and you should pick the ASIO4All device if you're not getting sound.

Everything else gets turned off when you're using ASIO because ASIO requires exclusive access to audio hardware. I'm a big Cakewalk dude, and Sonar is the same way as Ableton, Pro Tools, Reaper, etc. It's just the way that Steinberg (makers of Cubase/Nuendo) designed the ASIO standard. So yes, if you want low-latency input/output you have to lose sound for everything else. If you don't want to drop a ton of cash just to have a line-out with low latencies, take a look at a low-end M-Audio device. Solid drivers and good audio quality. The "Avid Recording Studio" or the "M-Audio Fast Track Mk II" are the same device and differ in included junk. They're even priced similarly. It's a really solid device with just a couple of ins and outs, and it'll free up your PC audio for Windows alerts or whatnot.

huh... i guess that explains why it turns off all the sound when in use....

I'll have to take screenshots of the audio settings. I'm only interested in using the free versions of these DAW's. As I am no artist/producer/anything - paying $699 for this piece o'crap software is not in my best interest.

I found an old external Creative SoundBlaster Extigy... can I use this? I only seem to have the main unit for it, does it need an internal sound card to go along with? If not - will using this vastly improve my DAW experience?

The Extigy probably needs ASIO4all (and it's probably a class-compliant audio device so you probably don't even need to install Creative's bloatware) but yeah that should work. In the ASIO4All control panel, click the power button icon for your built-in sound to make sure it's "off" (not using ASIO) and that the Extigy (or USB Audio Device) is set to On so that it does use ASIO. Then you should also make sure that your "default" device in Windows is still the built in sound. Once all that is set, make sure your DAW is using the ASIO driver and you're good to go. Or should be, in theory.

Definitely don't need to pay $700 for a great DAW. The Presonus freebie is OK except you can't use 3rd-party plugins. They include enough audio effects to be useful, though. What's your goal here? Do you want to do live performance type work? I know you were into the DJ scene at one point. If that's your goal, Ableton is your software. Studio One (and Pro Tools, Cubase, SONAR, etc.) are all aimed at creating finished productions and recording. Ableton is geared more towards the "performance DJ" audience.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.

derFunkenstein wrote:Definitely don't need to pay $700 for a great DAW. The Presonus freebie is OK except you can't use 3rd-party plugins. They include enough audio effects to be useful, though. What's your goal here? Do you want to do live performance type work? I know you were into the DJ scene at one point. If that's your goal, Ableton is your software. Studio One (and Pro Tools, Cubase, SONAR, etc.) are all aimed at creating finished productions and recording. Ableton is geared more towards the "performance DJ" audience.

No goal in mind really. I returned a $100 dj laptop stand and didn't really need anything, so at a whim i got this keyboard. always wanted a midi device. i can read notes and play some tunes on the keyboard at an amateur level, 'bout it.

Never going to perform live, I still am in the dj scene, but only small clubs, venues, and mainly weddings. pays the bills.

i researched the traktor scratch pro 2 website that has tsi files for controllers:

...and the alesis (of any model) is not supported... maybe i should return this and opt for the Akai MPK mini instead? same price point ($99), but the keys are smaller, like a toy. i enjoy the large keys of this Alesis QX25 and the touch sensitivity too. so nice! makes me want to learn again!